The Prophets of Smoked Meat is Just a Few Months Away

It hit my desk Monday -- the galley of Daniel Vaughn's upcoming book, The Prophets Of Smoked Meat. For more than 300 pages Vaughn lays out stories about his travels across the great state of Texas interspersed between so much meat porn I'm blushing while I type this.

The book is divided into seven sections laid out by geography. Each details Vaughn's travels, numerous barbecue joints, interviews and anecdotes including the importance of barbecue sauce.

Join Vaughn as he treks through the desolate panhandle, and spends a weekend in Southeast Texas. Or stay closer to home and read about Pecan Lodge and Smoke in the Texas Triangle. There's even a section on barbacoa from South Texas that will get the taco enthusiasts excited. And If you want to skip ahead to the nitty-gritty, a page titled "The Best" lists the pits Vaughn thinks are a paragon of smoke and meat.

I'll tell you it's very short.

I haven't read the thing cover to cover yet, but I have a feeling the most interesting part of the book for anyone who really likes to cook will be the pitmaster profiles in the back. Each profile has a small picture of the pitmaster, a short bio and a loose description of the methods used to make the barbecue that's made them famous.These aren't full-on recipes, but more loose guidelines you can use when you're tweaking your own methods for perfectly smoked meat. What, you didn't think these guys were actually going to give away their secrets did you?

Enough talk. Pre-order your copy of The Prophets of Smoked Meat on Amazon this second. Spring is here if you haven't noticed. It's time to burn your favorite mix CD, roll down the windows and take a Texas road trip. The book is due out in May.